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Apr 02, 2026
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2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog
Connections Packages
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College-wide Requirements: Connections
In completing the Connections requirement of the college, students undertake a focused educational experience that complements in-depth study in their chosen major field. Students may satisfy the Connections requirement in one of four ways.
- Completion of nine credit hours of study abroad coursework or six credit hours of study abroad coursework and completing one additional upper-level course from the approved Global Citizenship-International (GCI) list. These nine hours of coursework may, if appropriate, be applied to non-Connections degree requirements. The nine hours of coursework do not need to be taken during a single academic term or at a single study abroad site. Students interested in pursuing study abroad are strongly encouraged to contact a study abroad advisor at the Center for Global Engagement.
- Completion of a minor, a second concentration, or a second major. The minor or second major may be in the College of Arts and Sciences or in another college. Courses used to satisfy the requirements of a minor or a second major may also be used to meet Perspectives requirements.
- Completion of nine credit hours drawn from one of the Connections Packages listed here. The nine credit hours must be drawn from at least two different departments. Three of the nine credit hours may be applied toward a student's major requirements. Connections Packages are topically-oriented collections of upper-division courses that have been designed by faculty to focus student's attention on questions that have substantial multidisciplinary character.
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Completion of all Air Force or Army ROTC program requirements.
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Ancient Mediterranean Studies
The “Ancient Mediterranean Studies” Connections Package emphasizes the history and cultures of the people who lived around the Mediterranean Sea from prehistory through the end of late antiquity. Because of the conquests of Alexander the Great and the later unification of the region under the Roman Empire, the influence of the ancient Mediterranean has been far-reaching: from the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle to the art that inspired the Renaissance, from the literature we call the Classics to the medical tradition of the Hippocratic Oath, from Athenian democracy to the Roman Senate, and from the development of Judaism to the rise of Christianity. It is difficult to exaggerate the influence that the ancient Mediterranean has had on Western history and continues to have in our world today. This Connections Package includes courses from Art History, Classics, History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies, emphasizing the deeply interdisciplinary nature inherent in the study of the Ancient Mediterranean world. Students who complete this Connections Package will be able to: (1) analyze the rich connectivity among the different micro-regions of the ancient Mediterranean; (2) recognize the influence of ancient Mediterranean cultures in our world today; and (3) communicate orally and in writing across traditional disciplinary boundaries. Biodiversity and Humans
The loss of biodiversity resulting from growing human populations and impacts on Earth is an issue of great global concern, given the importance of biodiversity for human welfare. The concept of biodiversity encompasses the number of species of plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms in different areas and in the world as a whole, the genes in these species, and the different ecosystems in which the species are found. As humans, we are a part of Earth’s biodiversity, and we are shaped by and depend upon the biodiversity around us while also strongly influencing it. Human actions can promote local increases in biodiversity, but on a global scale, we are responsible for huge and increasing losses in biodiversity, including species extinctions that have greatly altered the natural world and may threaten human survival. The multidisciplinary theme of this connections package is the interrelationships between biodiversity and humans, including how biodiversity is explored, documented, conceptualized, and exploited by humans; how biodiversity can be increased or decreased by human activity and environmental changes; how changes in biodiversity affect human society and the natural world; and patterns of human biodiversity and their causes. Students who complete the Biodiversity and Humans Connections package will be able to: (1) identify methods used to document and study biodiversity; (2) describe patterns in biodiversity across different wild or managed ecosystems; (3) explain the importance of biodiversity for humans; and (4) give examples of natural and anthropogenic forces that cause changes in biodiversity. Cultural and Artistic Achievement: Arts in the United States
Artistic creation is one significant way that some members of a society respond to and try to represent the culture in which they live and work. This connections package will focus on the traditions of artistic achievement in the visual and fine arts, music, film, and literature produced by artists living and working in the United States. Students who select this package will be able to: (1) recognize and analyze the aesthetic similarities and differences among various art forms produced in the United States; (2) describe the historical development of conventions and traditions in different art forms; and (3) recognize the relationships between artworks and the cultures within which those works were created. Cultures and Societies
The connections package “Cultures and Societies” explores the interaction between different cultures and their impact on society. Pulling from a broad range of courses, students will see how these different perspectives help us understand ourselves and our situations. This connections package is especially for students in the Applied Studies Interdisciplinary Program in the Cultures and Societies Track. These courses support the focus of that program and sections of these courses will be offered online. Students completing this package will: (1) learn about different cultures and their perspectives; and (2) explore how these different views given added insight into our current society and inform our actions in it. Emerging Asia
The main goal of this connections package is to provide students with the background and analytical tools to understand the dynamics that have facilitated the rise of some of the fastest growing economies in the world across the past half-century, and to understand the impacts of these countries within the region and around the world. The catalysts for the recent economic development and increasing geopolitical power of countries such as China, India, and Japan are rooted in numerous (and interconnected) economic, geographical, historical, and political factors, some of which were influenced by outside actions (and actors). Students completing this package will be able to: (1) understand the myriad historical factors that have catalyzed this explosive growth, and just as important, stifled development in other parts of Asia; (2) explore patterns of growth in terms of rising economic, industrial, and geopolitical power across the Asia-Pacific region; (3) recognize the cultural, economic, and political impacts of this growth not only on China, India, Japan, South Korea, and other countries across Asia, but also outside of the region; and (4) assess the local, regional, and global environmental impacts of this explosive growth. Environment and Society
Environment and Society provides students with a strong social, biophysical, and ecological foundation that can be used to identify and assess major socio-environmental issues facing the Earth, the United States, and Southern Appalachia. Courses in this cluster engage topics and methodologies related to biodiversity, industrialization and urbanization, pollution, climate change, population, technology, energy resources, and environmental justice. Students completing this package will be able to: (1) recognize the interconnectedness of self, society, and nature; (2) analyze policies, conflicts, and places and degrees of environmental danger; and (3) consider alternatives to current practices. Geographic Information Science for Our Changing World
Recent developments in Geographic Information Science (GIS) and Technology are transforming our environment and society, changing our natural and societal behaviors/practices in different parts of the world. Understanding the technical and theoretical aspects of GIS is of critical importance to train a new generation of students in developing and applying GIS on various issues associated with environment, natural resources, and social imperatives, which in turn exert their impacts on our dynamic world. Students completing this package will be able to: (1) understand the problem-solving values of GIS and its role on the information-based society and environment/natural resource management of the twenty-first century; (2) obtain a solid understanding of GIS to analyze environmental and social issues from a spatially integrated science perspective; and (3) gain hands-on experience with a variety of geospatial technologies, ranging from desktop-based to web-based mapping, spatial analysis, and remote sensing-based data processing, to address various environmental and societal issues.
Global Social Justice
This connections package explores the problems and promises of social justice in a global age. Courses illuminate the various visions of globalization and the multiple methods and theories through which to analyze the modern world. In order to better understand and address some of the world’s most pressing social problems, students explore the social, economic, political, cultural, ideological, and historical processes that connect disparate parts of the world in highly unequal ways, examining the various factors that contribute to social injustice. Students completing this package will be able to: (1) recognize key processes and elements of globalization as they relate to injustice; (2) critically examine the differential effects of globalization on historically marginalized, oppressed, and vulnerable groups; and (3) consider fair, equitable, and beneficial policies and pathways for peoples engaged in struggles and contests for social justice. Health and Biophysics
At the intersection of medical/biological sciences with the physical sciences, health physics and biophysics encompass a broad range of studies that help us understand biological systems and their response to light and ionizing radiation. From studying the physical structure of cells, to the mechanisms used to image the human body, as well as the underlying physics and chemistry, this package highlights the interdisciplinary nature of the health and biological sciences. Students completing this package will be able to integrate fundamental biology, physics, and engineering principles together to solve problems in health and biological sciences. Depending on courses chosen this may include: (1) discussing the advantages and health risks of using different types of radiation in medical diagnosis and therapy; (2) understanding the structure of biological matter and how it can be studied with nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray crystallography; (3) characterizing how the structure of biomolecules drive their function, and how disruption of the structure leads to health conditions and diseases; (4) applying computational modeling to biological systems to understand experimental results and predict biological responses; and (5) examining reaction kinetics in biochemical systems. Health Care Perspectives
As our population continues to grow and to age, the factors affecting health care and public health are becoming increasingly important. The breadth of courses compiled for Health Care Perspectives incorporates the complexity and challenges facing future patients and health care providers. Students completing this package will be able to: (1) explain the impact of human aging on society, (2) describe the various facets of the science of medicine, (3) recognize the multiple levels of science communication in health care, and (4) discuss public health issues from both a local and a global perspective. How to Live in the Premodern World
The connections package “How to Live in the Premodern World” explores how people in the period before ca. 1600 CE responded to the fundamental human problem of how one ought to live life. Students who complete this package will learn about various modes in which people in antiquity conceived of the question of proper living, including religion, philosophy, and social roles. Students will furthermore become familiar with representative examples of these things from various places and times before the modern era, with possibilities ranging from Chinese philosophy to Roman physical ideals and Middle Eastern religion. Finally, students who complete this package will also come to understand different ways scholars in the present examine attitudes and conceptions in antiquity, drawing not only upon texts but also through archaeological exploration and the study of material culture. Students completing this package will: (1) learn about the ways in which people in premodern (before ca. 1600 CE) societies conceived of the question of a proper life; (2) become familiar with representative answers to that question that appeared in various times and places; and (3) understand methods used by modern scholars to study attitudes and concepts in the distant past. Humans Living on a Dynamic Earth
The Earth’s environment is constantly changing, but just how much and how fast the Earth has changed and is changing has evoked considerable debate. The public often receives misinformation when all the public wants is answers to questions such as: “Is the Earth actually warming up?” “Why can’t we predict hurricanes and earthquakes?” and “How long have humans been altering our environment?” Courses included in the Humans Living on a Dynamic Earth Connections package provide focused opportunities for our undergraduates to learn about our ever-changing Earth and how humans have and will continue to alter the Earth. Students completing this package will be able to: (1) understand why our Earth’s surface is constantly changing; (2) recognize the gradual (such as erosion by water, wind, and ice) and abrupt (earthquakes and volcanic eruptions) processes that altered and created the landscapes we live in today; and (3) assess and understand how humans have impacted our environment. Inequalities: Race, Ethnicity, Class, and Gender
This connections package reflects an interdisciplinary approach to the study of race, ethnicity, class, and gender, and how these social categories produce stratification, discrimination, and inequality. It focuses upon the ways in which categories of difference interact with one another to shape identities, opportunities, life experiences, and life chances by exploring what categories of difference mean and how they have been defined, constructed, and applied in various contexts. Students completing this package will: (1) engage in a critical examination of the construction of race, ethnicity, class, and gender in a variety of social, cultural, historical, political, and economic contexts; (2) develop skills in critical thinking, comparative analysis, theory, research methods, and written expression as it relates to identity; and (3) explore strategies and policies necessary for a more informed understanding of difference. - AFST 322 - Race, Gender, and Medicine 3 Credit Hours
- AFST 323 - Black Women Writers 3 Credit Hours
- AFST 329 - Black History in Tennessee 1796-1980 3 Credit Hours
- AFST 333* - Black American Literature and Aesthetics 3 Credit Hours
- AFST 343* - Race and Ethnicity 3 Credit Hours
- AFST 375 - African American Women’s History from Slavery to the Present 3 Credit Hours
- AFST 410 - Black European Identities and Narratives in Afro-European Literature, Media, Music and Art 3 Credit Hours
- AFST 415 - Black American Politics 3 Credit Hours
- ANTH 423* - Feminist Anthropology 3 Credit Hours
- ANTH 424 - Queer Anthropology 3 Credit Hours
- CLAS 384* - Gender and Sexuality in Greece and Rome 3 Credit Hours
- ENGL 331* - Race and Ethnicity in American Literature 3 Credit Hours
- ENGL 332* - Women in American Literature 3 Credit Hours
- ENGL 333* - Black American Literature and Aesthetics 3 Credit Hours
- ENGL 444 - Appalachian Literature and Culture 3 Credit Hours
- GEOG 349* - Geography of Human Rights: Europe and Asia 3 Credit Hours
- GEOG 350* - Geography of Human Rights: Africa and the Americas 3 Credit Hours
- GEOG 363* - Southern Spaces and Places 3 Credit Hours
- GEOG 420* - GIS in the Community 3 Credit Hours
- GEOG 442* - Urban Spaces and Urban Society 3 Credit Hours
- GEOG 461 - Russia and Its Neighbors 3 Credit Hours
- GERM 433 - Nation, Race, and Ethnicity 3 Credit Hours
- GERM 434 - Extraordinary Wo(Men)―Outcasts, Rebels, Martyrs, and Saints 3 Credit Hours
- HIUS 380 - African American Experience from Civil War to the Present 3 Credit Hours
- HIUS 436 - History of Gender and Sexuality in the United States 3 Credit Hours
- PHIL 382* - Philosophy of Feminism 3 Credit Hours
- PHIL 463* - Race, Science, and Medicine 3 Credit Hours
- PHIL 464* - Feminist Philosophy of Science 3 Credit Hours
- POLS 413 - Race, Ethnicity, and Politics 3 Credit Hours
- POLS 414 - Gender and Politics 3 Credit Hours
- POLS 415 - Black American Politics 3 Credit Hours
- SOCI 341* - Social Inequalities 3 Credit Hours
- SOCI 343* - Race and Ethnicity 3 Credit Hours
- SOCI 344* - Political Sociology 3 Credit Hours
- SOCI 345* - Social Movements 3 Credit Hours
- SOCI 353* - Criminal Justice 3 Credit Hours
- SOCI 375* - Gender in Society 3 Credit Hours
- SOCI 442 - Comparative Poverty and Development 3 Credit Hours
- SOCI 452 - Race, Ethnicity, Crime, and Justice 3 Credit Hours
- SOCI 453* - Gender and Crime 3 Credit Hours
- SOCI 463 - Community, Sustainability and Justice 3 Credit Hours
- SOCI 465* - Social Values and the Environment 3 Credit Hours
- SOCI 472* - Civil Rights Movement 3 Credit Hours
- SPAN 433 - Gender and Sexuality in Hispanic Literature and Culture 3 Credit Hours
- SPAN 484 - Race, Ethnicity, and Nation in Hispanic Literature 3 Credit Hours
- WGS 340 - Gender, Politics, and the Law 3 Credit Hours
- WGS 370* - Gender and Globalization 3 Credit Hours
- WGS 419* - Gender and Sexuality in Ancient Western Philosophy 3 Credit Hours
- WGS 466 - Special Topics in Race and Ethnicity 3 Credit Hours
- WLC 410 - Black European Identities and Narratives in Afro-European Literature, Media, Music and Art 3 Credit Hours
Mobility and Migration
Modern transportation and communication technologies contribute to an increase in mobility and migration worldwide. This connections package explores identity issues related to mobility and migration, and the historical, socio-cultural, and political contexts within which mobility and migration take place. It also addresses policy issues and ethical questions related to mobility and migration, and the creation, maintenance, and policing of (inter)national borders. Students completing this package will be able to: (1) explain factors that contribute to contemporary forms of mobility and migration; (2) analyze historical, political, social, cultural, and ethical aspects of mobility and migration; and (3) place mobility and migration issues in a national and global context. New Geographies of the Global Economy
International trade has increased rapidly in recent decades, encompassing movements in raw materials, manufactured goods, services, information, and labor. Given the current state of the global economy, the location-based aspects of economic activities become even more important to examine, especially in terms of the impacts of trade on people at various scales, ranging from the local to the global levels. Students completing this package will be able to: (1) recognize patterns of trade and economic development; (2) analyze the impacts of trade on economic development and labor; and (3) recognize and evaluate disparities in development, trade policies, wealth, and economic growth. Our World: Contemporary Arts and Culture
Characterized by globalization, political crisis, and the entrance of technology into all facets of everyday life, the period from 1945 to the present arguably has seen some of the most drastic and accelerated changes of cultural life in human history. Focusing on how the humanities and social sciences analyze and contribute to these changes, this package offers students a rich and complex experience of the post-WWII era, teaching them skills and perspectives that they will need to enter today’s global environment. Courses in the package emphasize critical thinking, comparative analysis, and research methods. Coursework asks students to consider the thorny issues of non-negotiable cross-cultural contact, how we formulate political and ethical values in today’s complex world, and the important role of the arts (movies, books, music, media) in constructing our reality. Students completing this package will be able to: (1) recognize historical, cultural, and sociological movements important to post-1945 political environments; (2) analyze the relationships between art and culture that are important to contemporary life; (3) evaluate the importance of new, contemporary art forms in relation to previous arts theories, movements, and performances; and (4) articulate philosophical, ethical, political, and sociological positions concerning how new global exchanges reconfigure how we think about the world and our place within it. Rise and Decline of Premodern Complex Societies
The connections package “Rise and Decline of Premodern Complex Societies” consists of courses that explore socio-political organization and change in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Far East and the New World predating the European Renaissance. One of the fundamental questions in premodern history and archaeology is how complex societies developed from the simple villages that were the earliest form of permanent settlement in human history. This question has bearing on basic issues of the human condition that are still very much in focus in the world today: human relationships, the ability to organize and incorporate ever larger population groups, the development of socio-political elites, and the wielding of power. Conversely, even though complex societies as a rule had a degree of built-in stability, all have come to an end. A continuing discourse in social archaeology and history is concerned with the question of how complex societies collapsed and reverted to a simpler level of socio-political organization. Students will explore these issues through written and/or archaeological evidence as well as by examining current scholarly approaches. Students who complete this package will learn to (1) analyze different ways in which premodern societies in various parts of the world were organized; and (2) evaluate how these societies experienced – and dealt with – societal change. Shifting Borders and Cultures in Europe
With the growing importance of the European Union, both the cultures of Europe and its very borders have become more dynamic and contested. This connections package offers students a multifaceted set of lenses through which to investigate broad themes and issues in European history from the medieval period up until the present day. The varied approaches of courses on political and economic history, literature and film, history of science and conceptions of gender, sexuality, and ethnic identity allows students to piece together a comprehensive overview of the changing physical, cultural, religious, and economic characteristics of Europe from the Middle Ages to today. Students completing this package will be able to: (1) understand and analyze topics in European history, geography, culture, literature, and religion across regions and centuries; (2) engage with a variety of perspectives on shifting borders and cultures in Europe and develop skills to make synthetic and comparative arguments about them in their socio-cultural and historical context; and (3) cultivate basic research skills, develop analytical writing abilities, and practice writing to advance an argument. Understanding Climate Change
Climate change is one of the most significant issues of our time, but few citizens have the background to understand the public debates it raises or to move beyond the focus on “Is climate changing?” to consider the effects of climate change on environments, ecosystems, and economies – and humankind’s options for the future. Courses included in the Understanding Climate Change connection package provide opportunities for focused inquiry into the nature of the climate system; how climate interacts with and affects weather, ocean processes, hazards, vegetation, wildlife, and human activity; the evidence for climate change in the past and present; and the longer-term context of natural climate change and variability. Students who complete this connections package will be able to: (1) identify natural and anthropogenic causes of climate change; (2) describe sources of data on past climate; (3) give examples of how past changes in climate have affected Earth’s environments and ecosystems; (4) recognize how climate change affects human society; and (5) place current climate trends in their longer-term context. Visual Cultures and Media Studies
In a globalized world, the study of cinema has acquired a new meaning. From the 1960s onward, many countries have witnessed escalating violence, social unrest and war. Many scholars have examined the cinematic representation of these events, however, the process of negotiation inside different countries’ popular cinematic genre has just started to be mapped out. This connection package demonstrates that some of the most important documents of self-representation in the 20th century and of its cultural-political disorientation can be found in films. International references are ever-present in many national cinemas together with the recording of fluctuating national identities, as a consequence, the study of cinematic products, instead of displaying a direct reliance on Hollywood cultural formats, presents a multiplicity of discordant messages. Cinema after the 1960s occupies a liminal zone that traverses cultures, genres, and tastes, challenging the notion of a national cinema that speaks only to its own people. The courses in this package all address aspects of visual culture in the media, be it in film, TV, print, digital media, or the arts. The prominence of the visual in today’s world and its use and abuse for political and social agendas make it pertinent that we learn how to critically read the visual image. This package also includes courses that offer critical tools for analyzing media in the digital age from cinematic, historical, socio-political, and economic points of view. Students completing this package will be able to: (1) critically analyze their own culture; (2) demonstrate knowledge of foreign cultures other than their own; (3) demonstrate insight into aspects of world geography, global economics, international politics, various religions, philosophies, histories, languages, literatures, or arts; (4) demonstrate intercultural communication concepts; (5) evaluate the impact of historical forces on the modern world; (6) explain the causes of domestic and global social problems; (7) identify and summarize concepts of interdependence; and (8) recognize global systems, processes, social constructs, trends, and issues. |
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